Compressor for refrigerating systems



Jan. 28, 1936. J. c. BUCHANAN COMPRESSOR FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jhn CT, 5 1 Ghana BY I ATTORNEY Jan. 28, 1936- J. c. BUCHANAN COMPRESSOR FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 9, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 uchanan INVENTOR Jhn C A T RNEY Jan. 28, 1936. c, BUCHANAN 2,028,824-

COMPRESSOR FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 9, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR J/W? .fiuvhwv i ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 28, p 1 936 PATENT OFFICE COBIPRESSOR FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS John C. Buchanan, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Borg-Warner Corporation,

a corporation of Illinois Application October 9, 1933, Serial No. 692,727 8 Claims. (01. 230-205) This invention relates to refrigerating systems of a type generally applicable for employment for domestic and other uses where individual units of relatively small capacity are employed and has particular relation to improvements in the arrangement of parts, the compressing mechanism, and the lubricating features of such systems.

An object of the invention is to provide an im-- proved refrigerating system by co-relating and especially designing the various elements of such systems and whereby there shall be such cooperation between said'improved elements as will best serve the purpose of providing an efiicient system capable of being manufactured at low cost and of giving the maximum, of satisfactory service in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved condensing unit designed for refrigeration purposes which shall have a novel and compact arrangement of parts wherein said parts can be readily assembled and serviced.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved compressor to be employed in mechanisms for refrigeration purposes, said compressor being provided with certain novel mechanical features whereby the mechanism will operate more quietly and einciently, and with lubrication and cooling features rendering the compressor more capable of performing its functions in such refrigerating or other mechanisms in which it may be employed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a condensing unit structure embraced in a refrigerating system and including a compressor;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through the compressor employed in the condensing unit disclosed by Fig. 1 and illustrating the compressor structure as the latter might appear substantially in the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the compressor structure, taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

, Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the compressor, taken substantially in the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the compressor, taken substantially in the plane of line 66 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the balance weight and oil pump structure embraced therein;

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the compressor discharge valve and a fragmentary portion of the compressor in which the valve is employed; the view is taken substantially in the plane of line ll of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a cross tially in the plane sectional view taken substanof line 8--8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an end view of the compressor structure as the latter might appear in Fig. 1, with the flywheel of the compressor removed therefrom.

The refrigerating system herein disclosed and embracing the principles of the present invention comprises a frame 23 consisting of pairs of spaced longitudinal metal bars or supports 24 and 25, at the ends of which are employed springs 26, by which the entire condensing unit is sus pended by brackets 21, either in a cabinet, or elsewhere, if desired. Rubber washer members 28 are employed at opposite ends of the springs 26 to provide a resilient and relatively noiseless means of attaching the springs to the brackets and longitudinal supports, respectively. Between the longitudinal members 24 adjacent corresponding ends, thereof, there is secured a supporting member 29, preferably constructed of wood or other suitable sound-deadening material, and the opposite ends of which are secured to the longitudinal members by bolts indicated at 3|. The longitudinal members are secured together adjacent the ends thereof opposite the supporting member 29 by a metallic supporting member or bar 32, which is considerably narrower than the supporting member 29, and is spaced from the adjacent edge of the latter, a considerable distance, to provide an elongated opening 33. The opposite ends of the supporting member 32 are secured to the longitudinal member 24 by bolts 34.

The condensing unit 20 is driven by an electrical motor 36, secured to the support 29 in any suitable manner (not shown) and is provided I with a drive shaft 31, on the end of which a fan 38 and pulley 39 are secured. Both of these elements are secured upon the end of the shaft 31 in such position as to be directly over and to operate partially within the opening 33 between the supports 29 and 32. Driven by the pulley 39 is'a belt 4 I, the opposite end of which engages and drives a combination flywheel and pulley 42, attached to the shaft 43 of a refrigerant compressor 44. The belt 4! may be tightened by the employment of any suitable belt tightening mechanism, such as that indicated at 46.

The compressor 44, which is secured to the support 29 by bolts indicated at 41, comprises a supporting or frame casting 48 having a boss por- I large cavity 52, in

anism 53 is supported around end 54 of the shaft 43. Secured tothe by pins 58, projecting therethrough, is an anouter end 56 thereof.

I the ous openings formed therein. also is adapted to-lubricate ber52. The outlet for the oil employed in lubri- I the upper part of the pump and'balance weight chamber" formed,

nular sealing ring 51, which is seated resiliently upona gasket 58 abutting a shoulder portion formed between the shaft 43 and the reduced Abutting the outer surface of the ring 51 is a non-rotatable sealing ring 59, provided with an outwar y projecting flange 8|, against the outer surface of which one end of a spring82 "is, disposed. The opposite end of the spring 62 abuts and is supported by an annular plate member 63, which in turn is secured upon a gasket 84'by stud bolts66 projecting through openings formed around the outer edge thereof. Between the outer edgeof the non-rotatable sealiing ring 59 and the inner edge of the plate 83, is a collapsible bellows '81, the effective cross sec tional area of which is substantially equal to the cross sectional area of the sealing edge of the rotatable sealing ring 51. This substantial equality of areas of the two aforesaid'elements provides a substantially balanced running seal member, wherein the pressure on the adjacent running surfaces thereof is substantially independent of the fluid pressure internally or externally of the compressor 44, and hence is determined within reasonable limits by the-force resulting from the compression of the spring 62. Outside of the'plate 83 there is secured around end of the shaft 43 by one of an oil trap 68, which cooperates with a disk 89 secured upon the shaft internally thereof for preventing the escape of small quantities of oil, which may be found to leak throughthe running surfaces of the seal,

On the side of the frame 48 opposite the seal 53, there is secured a relatively large dome or cap 1| which is adapted to provide a compressor 12 is partially filled with a quantity of oil, in-

'dicated at 14. which practically surrounds the compressor and supplies oil thereto through vari- The body of oil 14 i the seal 53 through a flowsfrom the chamber duct 18, by which the oil 12 to the .seal chamcating the seal within the'chamber 52 is provided by a duct 11 communicating at opposite ends with seal between the inner extremity of the bearing 5| and the compressor I3. The oil employed in lubricating the seal is caused to flow through the ducts 16 and 11 and combination balance weight and pump 19 which is secured upon the, shaft 43 by means of a key indicated at 8 I. The inner surface of the balance weight and pump member 19 is provided with a large offset balance weight portion, indicated at 82, on one side ofthe center of rotation thereof, while the opposite surface thereof is so formed as to provide a plurality of radially disposed ribs, indicated at 83, which serve as a centrifugal pump to throw outwardly away from the outlet from the duct 11, the oil which might otherwise I ternally ground to receive one the bolts 86,

chamber and with a the seal chamber 52 by a I directly opposite the 1 48, an annular groove 86, which is located just outside the chamber 18 and between the latter and the compressor chamber 12. groove there is provided a flange 81, which is ini end of an annular cylinder block 88, in the interior of which the compression chamber is formed. For closing the end of the compressor block 88 adjacent the frame 48, there isprovided within the groove, an annular cylinder end wall 89, which is secured in position between the adjacent surfaces of the cylinder 8 8,and the frame the cylinder 88 is closed by a similarcylinder end wall 9I, which is secured in position upon the adjacent end of the compressor block by an' end and to the frame 48 by bolts 94, which project 48; The oppositeend of Around this I outer end of the cylinder laterally throughopenings formed therein and which are secured at their inner ends in threaded openings formed opposite the compressor and within the frame 48. i I j In order to provide a support forthe inner end of the shaft 43, there is a bearing projecting outwardly from the cylinder and supporting an end portion 98 of the shaft 43, which is formed thereon beyond the cylinder. On the end of'the reduced portion 96 beyond the bearing 95, there is secured; by'a stud bolt 91, a thrust ring 98 which bears against'the outer end of the bearing and prevents movement of the shaft in 'a direction-toward the cylinder. The shaft is prevented from movement in the opposite direction by a thrust ring 99 which is'keyed upon the shaft, as is indicated at IIII, against a shoulder formed adjacent the reduced'portion of the shaft 96. i i f Within the cylinder 88 there is formed upon the shaft 43, an eccentric I02 which is adapted to move within the cylinder upon the shaft between the inner surfaces of the end plates to permit oil for lubritherein and in order to formed in the cap 92 I 89 and 91. Considerable space is provided at opposite ends prevent the eccentric from frictional engagement with the end plates, eccentric I02 is a rotor I93, the opposite ends of which are adapted to form a close-running fit within a few thousandths of an inch but deflnitely spaced from the inner plates 89 and 9|; The, outer surface of the rotor is adapted to frictionally engage and to roll upon the inner surface of portion of the eccentric I82 which lies the greatest distance from the axis of rotation of the shaft 43. I r

In order to provide lubrication for the rotor, eccentric and cylinder mechanisms, there" is formed, within the cap 92,*openings I84 which communicate with the space within the chamber 12 occupied by also with an annular space formed inwardly of Rotatably mounted upon the the lubricating oil therein and surfaces of the end 5 the cylinder in the region the end plate 9I and around the adjacent portions of the shaft 43. The opposite end of the cylinder communicates with the chamber I8 through similar openings communicating with a similar annular space, formed inwardly ofth'e end plate 89 and around the shaft 43.

In order to make certain that oil is supplied at equal pressure at opposite-ends of the rotor and cylinder mechanism, there is formed across 10 the eccentric I02, a longitudinally disposed opening I06 which transmits oil from one end of the eccentric to the other whenever such unequal pressure may exist.

At one side of the cylinder and .within the chamber I2, there is provided a laterally projecting boss I 01 in which is formed a transversely disposed cylindrical opening H0 and which in turn communicates along the irmer edge thereof with a rectangularly shaped slot I08, the opposite end of which terminates within the inner surface of the cylinder. In this slot is disposed, in sliding relation to the opposite surfaces thereof, a reciprocating blade I09, the inner end of which is cut off angularly, as is indicated at I I I, to provide an end II2, which engages the edge of the rotor I03 as the latter is moved by the rotation of the eccentric I02. The end II2 preferably is provided with a convex surface upon which the oppositely curved surface of the rotor is adapted to move.

In order to hold the blade I09 in contact with the rotor I03, there is provided a spring II3, the opposite ends of which are secured'by screws I I4 to one side of the boss I0I directly opposite the opening IIO formed therein. An intermediate portion of the spring H3 is formed to provide a laterally projecting tongue II 6, which extends inwardly of the opening H0, and there is seated, adjacent the central portion of the blade I09 in a semicylindrical slot 1 formed along the edge thereof.

In order to provide an inlet for the compressor, there is formed on the outer surface of the frame '48 an elongated boss I I8 on the outer end of which 5 is provided a flange H9, to which the suction line end of which terminates in a laterally extending shut-off valve mechanism I2I of the system is adapted to be secured. Form'edin the boss I I8 and communicating with the suction line of the system at one end is an inlet duct I22, the inner duct I23, extending inwardly of the frame 48 and within the jcylinder block 80.' The inner end of this ductbommunicates with the lower end of a suction passage I24, extending downwardly with- 5 in the central portion of the block from an inlet opening formed immediately belowthe inner edge of theblade I09. As the rotation of the cam I02 causes a rotational movement of the rotor I03 within the cylinder 88, the refrigerating fluid c0 employed within the system is drawn within the cylinder to fill the progressively enlarging space between the cylinder and the rotor.

As the shaft and eccentric continue in rotational movement, the fluid thus drawn within the 5 cylinder eventually becomes compressed by the 70 posed arcuate slot I25, extending substantially from one side of'the cylinder to the other and communicating with the cylinder along the inner surface of the blade slot I08. The dischargepassage I26 has a laterally disposed enlarged portion 75 I21 formed at the end thereof adjacent the end plate I09, which communicates through a passage I3I with a discharge chamber I33 formed in the compressor wall between the adjacent surfaces of the cap 92 and the end plate 9|. In this chamber there is secured, by a screw I34, a reed discharge valve I30 having a resilient end portion remote from the screw I34 disposed over the outer end of the passage I 3|, in such manner as to resist the flow of fluid therefrom. Disposed in a cylindrical portion I 31 of the discharge chamber I33, located opposite the passage I3I, but offset somewhat at one side thereof, is a short coil spring I38, one side of which rests upon the end of the reed I36 and over the passage I3I. With the spring and reed thus disposed in unbalanced relation, the reed tends to be twisted upon its seat over the end of the passageI3I whenever the pressure within the cylinder is increased to such an extent as to overcome the combined forces of compresslon within the reed and spring I 38. In this manner the gas is discharged from the cylinder without appreciably raising the reed from its seat upon one edge thereof, and hence the gas will pass quietly out into the discharge chamber I33. From this region, the gas is discharged into the chamber I2 inside the dome 'II through a curved conduit I39, the upper end of which terminates within the dome above the level of the oil contained therein.

It will be observed that the high pressure gas within the dome II will maintain a flow of oil inwardly through the moving parts of the compremor and across the frictionally engaging surfaces between the opposite ends of the rotor I03 and the inner surfaces of the end plates 99 and 9|, toward the suction side of the compressor. In this manner the compressor is kept constantly lubricated, and a running 011 seal is formed at the opposite ends of the rotor which prevents the leakage of gas from the high to the low sides of the compressor.

The gas, after being discharged into the upper part of the dome by the conduit I39, is permitted to escape from the dome through a duct I4I formed in the upper part thereof and extending outwardly of the dome through a boss I42, formed thereon. To this boss is attached a high pressure line cut-off valve I43, from which the gas is transferred by a. conduit I44 to the'upper part of a condenser I46, which is secured upon one end of the support 32 directly in front of the fan 38. From the bottom portion of the condenser, the condensed refrigerant is discharged through a conduit I41 into the upper part of a liquid receiver I43 which is secured also to the support 32 beside the condenser I46 and directly in front of the drive shaft of the compressor 44.

From the lower part of the receiver I44, liquid refrigerant is discharged through a shut-off valve I49 and a conduit I5I into a suitable evaporating unit.

It will be understood that the structure illustrated only represents a preferred form of the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1.. In a refrigerating system a refrigerant compressor associated therewith, id compressor being provided with a chamber into which said compressor discharges and which forms a refrigerant and lubricant reservoir, a shaft projecting into said chamber below the lubricant level therein and having a running seal associated therewith, said seal being disposed in a region remote from said chamber, and means associated with said shaft for circulating a continuous stream of lu-' bricant under pressure from said chamber within the space surrounding said seal and thereafter returning said lubricant to said chamber.

2. In a refrigerating system acompressor associated therewith, said compressor being provided with a lubricant and refrigerant receiving chamber into which said compressor discharges and having a bearing at one side thereof'below the lubricant levei therein, a shaft journaled in said bearing for operating said compressor, said cant chamber, and a pump operatively associated with said shaft for circulating a continuous stream of lubricant under pressure between said two chambers and over said seal.

' 3. In a refrigerating system a compressor having a bearing block, said bearing block being provided with a laterally projecting annular flange formed at one side thereof, a stationary cylinder block disposed on one side of said bearing block and having an annular exterior surface adapted to fit within the interior surface of said flange, a shaft journaled within said bearing block and projecting within said cylinder biock, means for rigidly securing said cylinder block to said bearing block, pumping mechanism associated with said shaft and cylinder block whereby refrigerant fluid is compressed in said cylinder block and disdisposed within said flange, a stationary cylinder said cylinder end plate and within said annular block having an annular exterior surface adapted to be disposed against the exterior surface of flange, a shaft journaled in said bearing block and projectingthrough said cylinder block, means for rigidly securing said cylinder block and cylinder end plate to said bearing block, means associated with said shaft and cylinder block for compressing refrigerant fluid and discharging said fluid externally of said cylinder block, and means for receiving the compressed refrigerant fluid discharged from said cylinder block.

5. In a refrigerating system a compressor, said compressor being provided with a cylinder block havingan'nular end portions, a pair of end plates disposed against said annular ends of said cylinder block, a pair of end members disposed against the exterior surfaces of said end plates and being provided with annular flanges surrounding the edges of said end plates and engaging the exterior surface of said cylinder block adjacent the opposite ends thereof, pumping mechanism disposed within said cylinder block and adapted to compress the fluid employed in said system and to discharge said fluid externally of said block, and a dome surrounding. said cylinder block and secured to one of said end members for receiving said compressed fluid;

6. In a-refrigerating system, a compressorrco m prising a bearing block, a shaft journaled in said block; oppositely disposed r'ecesses'in said block about said shaft, sealing means associated with said shaft and disposed in one of said recesses, a dome secured to said block adjacent the other of said recesses and providing a lubricant and re= frigerant reservoir, compressor means associated with said shaft'within said dome and operable for compressing a gaseous refrigerant and discharg means disposed in said recess opposite to that in which said sealing means are disposed for circulating lubricant from said reservoir over said in said bearing block adjacent said cylinder end plate, a shaft journaled in said bearing block and projecting through said recess in said bearing block, means associated with said shaft and cylinder block for compressing refrigerant fluid and dischargingsaid fluid externally of said cylinder bloc k, anda-couriterweight for said compressing means disposed within said recess. g

8. Ina refrigerating system a compressor, said compressor being provided with a bearing block, a'cylinder endplate disposed against said bearing "block, a cylinder block having an annular exterior surface adapted to be disposed against the exterior surface of said, cylinder end plate, a recess in said bearing block adjacent said cyiinder end plate, a shaft journaled in said bearing block and block, a running seal associated withsaid shaft and disposed adjacent the opositevside' of said projecting through said recessin said bearing bearing block, means associated with said shaft and said cylinder block for compressing refrigerant fluid and discharging said fluid externally of said cylinder bloci-z, a dome secured to said bearing block and providing a lubricating oil and refrigerant chamber surrounding saidcompressor, and pumping means within said recess for circulating lubricant from said chamber within the space surrounding said seal and thereafter returning said lubricant to said chamber.

, JOHN c. BUCHANAN. 

